How about we call it blog for justice day?

Today is blog for choice day, a chance for the blog world to commemorate the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade–on it’s 37th year!

Each year, I find myself unable to write about choice without talking about why I want it to be justice instead.

As I’ve talked about before, choice isn’t enough.

Choice doesn’t recognize that we don’t all have a choice. That often times our choices are impacted by what others want, by what we can afford, by what we will allow ourselves to do.

Our choices are mediated by politicians, religious figures, our paycheck this month. Our choices are limited by our family members, our lovers, what we see on TV and who is close to us when we have to make a decision.

Our choices are determined by the color of our skin, the language that rolls off our tongues, the restrictions of our bodies, the gender we identify with and the people we love.

Our choices aren’t just about abortion, they’re also about how we live, how we create family, how we interact with our bodies, with society, and with the world.

So I’m going to spend today, instead of thinking about choice, thinking about justice.

I’ve said this on other blogs and I’ll say it here-what is justice in this context but extending the possible choices to everyone? that’s inherent in choice.
everything you say is true. but saying that’s not part of choice is the part I will never understand.
to me being pro-choice means that if your choice is to raise your baby, but you need financial assistance, that should be provided. if your choice is to have a baby with another female partner, providing that is an important part of being pro choice.
Maybe my concept of justice-parity, equity-is not the same as yours, but no, that’s not what I want to extend to everyone. Just because some woman didn’t need help to raise her child, that means nobody should get it? that’s what’s just. but that’s not the world I want to live in.

[…] Radical Doula: Each year, I find myself unable to write about choice without talking about why I want it to be justice instead. As I’ve talked about before, choice isn’t enough. Choice doesn’t recognize that we don’t all have a choice. That often times our choices are impacted by what others want, by what we can afford, by what we will allow ourselves to do. Our choices are mediated by politicians, religious figures, our paycheck this month. Our choices are limited by our family members, our lovers, what we see on TV and who is close to us when we have to make a decision. Our choices are determined by the color of our skin, the language that rolls off our tongues, the restrictions of our bodies, the gender we identify with and the people we love. Our choices aren’t just about abortion, they’re also about how we live, how we create family, how we interact with our bodies, with society, and with the world. So I’m going to spend today, instead of thinking about choice, thinking about justice. […]

The Radical Doula Guide

About the Author

Miriam Zoila Pérez is a writer and reproductive justice activist. Pérez is currently a columnist at Colorlines, and was also an Editor at Feministing for four years. She trained as a birth doula in 2004 and a full-spectrum doula in 2010.